Folding scaffold-bracket.



No. 814,015. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906. Y

M. BLITSCH 6L 'I'. F. MUDUNNELL.

FOLDING SGAFFOLD BRACKET.

APPLIUATIOH FILED PBH. 26,1905.

3&3 @tto @w25 P UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL BLITSCH AND THOMAS F. MCDONNELL, OF VVATERLOG, IOWA.

FOLDING SCAFFOLD-BRACKET.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application Sled February 25, 1905, Serial No. 247,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL BLITscH and THOMAS F. McDoNNELL, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Scaffold-Brackets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to scaffold-brackets, and has for its objects the provision of a sirnple bracket which can be readily folded and which has improved means for fastening it to the scaffold and also is provided with such a contour as to confer upon it the maximum resisting power to stresses and such as will permit of its bein securely held in Contact with the scaffold w en under a stress. These objects we have attained by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed and which are fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of our improved bracket, showin it in operative position attached to a buil ing. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same and Fig. 4 is a view of the bracket, depicting it in its condition when not in use and olded up.

Similar characters of reference refer tosirnilar parts throughout the several views.

It is well known that scaffold-brackets are in use which are ca )able of being folded up when not in use and which consist, substantially, of an upright, a projecting arm, and brace, all having suitable connections; but our construction While embracing these features also adds improvements which go far to render the bracket safer to use and more convenient in manipulation as well as of greater resisting power against vertical or transverse stresses.

The upri ht a is formed in the shape of a lengthened oop whose upper portion is cornpressed to ether to narrow it sufficiently to receive an( retain the bolt g from which it is suspended. rlhis upright thus allords two bearing surfaces or points of support below the oint of sus ension against the face of the stur ding-uprig t. The upright a is bent forward at a small angle at the said beerin points, as shown in Fig. 4, which renders it resilient, and when the bracket is under load the lower portion of the upright straightens out under the strain and contacts along its whole rear ortion with the studding-upright s. Instea( of the bracket hanging suspended and liable to dis lacement from sudden stresses, as would ot erwise be the case, this construction of the upright a permits of three points of contact, and the resiliency caused by the angular form always tends to keep these points of contact in engagement wit the studding.

A bracket-arm composed of the V-shaped bar h c has its ends pivoted to the side por tions oi' the upright aV by means of pivot-belts h and e, respectively. The outer angle of the arm is closed to form a loop by means of a fixed bolt m. A brace d is at its lower end pivoted between the lower ends of the uprights side bars on a pivot-bolt The free end of the brace is incurved and has a terminal detent d whose purpose is to project above the surface of the bracket-arm and engage the outer edge of the planking w. Just below this detent d is a notch d2 in said brace which serves to form a fasteningpoint of enagement for the brace against the lower surflace of the bracket-arm b c.

The bracket is sus ended from the u right s and studding t by means of the hoo bolt g, Whose hooked end passes around the studding t and en ages it, as shown in Fig. 3. Any other form ofg sus endinr7 means may be used, if necessary. hen the bracket has been hung, the free end of the brace d may be thrust into the loop on the angle of the arm b c, which effects a secure engagenmntA Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isW

1. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a looped body portion having its upper part slightly bent forward to provide two oints of contact on its rear surface, a brac et pivoted to said body portion, and a pivoted brace for said bracket.

2. In a folding scafiold-bracket a looped body portion Whose loop is contracted at the top to form a seat for a clutch-pin, a clutchpin, a bracket pivoted to said body portieri, and a pivoted brace for said bracket.

In a folding scaffold-bracket, a looped body portion whose loop is broadened in its upper part and bent forward there to provide two points of contact on its rear surface, said loop then being contracted at the to to form a seat for a clutch-pin, a clutch-pin, a bracket ivoted to said body portion, and a pivoted race for said bracket.

4. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a looped body portion whose loop is contracted at the lOO top to receive and hold the head` of a clutchpin, a headed clutch-pin having a hooked outer end adapted to clutch a studding, a loo ed bracket pivoted to said bod portion, an a brace pivoted to the Said borY portion having detente at its Vfree end adapted to hook into and elutcli the outer end of said looped bracket.

5. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a looped body portion whose upper part is broadened and bent forward slightly to provide two points of contact on its rear surface, said loop then being contracted at the to to receive and hold the head of a clutch-pin, a headed olutohin having a hooked outer end adapted to cliltch a studdng, a bearing-bolt connecting and spaein a art the lower ends of the loop of said o y portion, a looped bracket pivoted to the broadestpart of the loop of said body portion, and having a closed loop at its free end, and a brace pivoted on said. bearing-bolt, and havin its free end furnished with. detente arranger to separably engage and clutch the closed loop on the free end of said bracket.

Signed at Waterloo) Iowa, this 16th day of February, 1905.

MICHAEL BLITSCH. THOMAS F. MCDONNELL. Witnesses 1 M. E. KENNEDY, G. C. KENNEDY. 

